


And The Children Shall Grieve

by BloodGlitterAndHappyRageBabe



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: And The Children Shall Lead, Jim is adorable, Jim is good with small children, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 09:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4660872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodGlitterAndHappyRageBabe/pseuds/BloodGlitterAndHappyRageBabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a headcanon submitted to plaidshirtjimkirk on tumblr, I decided I'd do a lil thing with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Children Shall Grieve

It must have been gone midnight, Jim didn't check, but the graveyard shift was well underway and he was supposed to be sleeping.  
Supposed to.  
But something bothered him. Gorgon had been defeated but that lingering anxiety still shivered deep within him. He's seen some disturbing things throughout his time at Starfleet but this? Well, it had shaken him to the core.

A spirit that convinced a group of apparently mentally healthy adults to commit mass suicide was enough to unnerve anyone but for it to convince a group of children, children - who's whole worlds are generally centered around their family, that their deaths didn't matter? And then convince them to do the same thing again and again? Jim shuddered to think of what would have happened if they had lost to the creature. The distorted, diseased face of the dying Gorgon was the least detestable thing about that thing.  
And Spock, how Spock put up with him, Jim never knew. In that horrible, horrible moment of pure, unadulterated fear of losing the ship, of failing to protect her and her crew, of being alone...so alone.  
In that moment of terror, Jim had launched himself at Spock, desperately clinging, dangerously close before he realised himself and realised how close their faces, their lips, were. To his surprise, Spock did not recoil from him, only gazed down into his eyes and murmured his name so tenderly that for a fleeting second Jim thought the impossible would happen.  
Better add that one to the list then, Jim thought, how many almost-kisses is that now?

The captain sighed. Times like this he realised why he so hated being alone. Alone with all his thoughts and insecurities and memories and that tiny, nagging feeling in his head that went 'Yeah, but what if you DID THE THING?' the thing he wanted to do the most.  
He lay back, one arm covering his face. Urgh. Sleepless nights are the worst.

And apparently...he wasn't the only one not sleeping.  
They weren't a crew member, that wasn't the sound of regulation boots down the corridor, but rather the pitter-patter of tiny bare feet. One of the children? Jim frowned, tugging on a plain white t-shirt with his blue plaid pyjama bottoms.  
The swoosh of the opening door caused the little figure to jump and catch her breath, startled, and Jim squinted through the dim light to see the littlest child, the girl, halfway down the corridor, clutching a blanket.

"Mary?" Jim asked, making his way over to her, "What are you doing out of bed?"  
The little girl sniffled and shrank back, as if fearing Jim's wrath and tears made her way down her cheeks.  
Jim felt himself soften and crouched down so he was eye-level with Mary, thumbing tears away from her face gently, "You can't sleep either?" he questioned softly, smiling when she shook her head. "Why not?"  
"The angel is gonna get me," she whispered, "and I can't hide with mommy and daddy because..." fresh tears cascaded down as she began to let out tiny sobs.  
"Come here," Jim scooped her up into his arms and rested her on his hip, "he's not going to get you, he's gone now. Gone forever. He can't hurt you."  
This did little to console Mary and she buried her head into Jim's neck, weeping.  
"Sssshhh..." Jim soothed, reaching his hand up to stroke her hair, "it's alright, you're safe, it's all going to be fine."  
"They're gone," she wept, "I don't want them gone."  
Jim cupped her small face in his hand, "Come with me for a minute, we'll take a little walk through the ship."

Jim allowed Mary to put her arms round his neck as he carried her through the dark corridors of the Enterprise, feeling her curl fearfully against him. He smiled, at that age he was much the same, but he supposed no one ever really grew out of their fear of the dark. 

But it's never so bad having someone with you, even when your worst fears are being realised.

Eventually they reached the observation deck, where the room was bathed in a silvery sort of light as the stars, as far away as they were, glided by as if they really were just small specks of luminous glitter and he smiled as Mary lifted her head up in interest. A new idea will stop a crying child, he remembered from one of his old books.  
"See all the stars, Mary?"  
"Mm-hm."  
"They're so far away, and so many of them, aren't there?"   
"Yeah."  
"Space is huge, right? Real big?"  
"Yeah?"  
"And we've been travelling ages now, yeah?"  
"Mm-hm."  
"So that angel, and he wasn't an angel, he's not going to be able to chase you is he?"  
She shook her head and Jim continued, "And your mom and dad are still with you, even if you can't see them. They're always going to be with you, you know why?"  
Silence.  
"They love you, Mary. And the people who love you, they never leave you."

They stayed like that for a while, gazing out onto the sea of stars, Mary resting her head on Jim's shoulder and Jim gently rocking her from side to side until he felt the small weight of heavy breathing, steady and even.

Was it the lingering feeling of anxiety from Triacus, or was somebody watching him from the shadows? Protectively, he tightened his grip on Mary, who was now sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of any paranoia her new human cradle was experiencing. Jim turned, only to be relieved at finding a familiar shape in the darkness.  
"Captain."  
"Oh ssshhh, sshh..." Jim hushed his first officer, "I've just got her to sleep."  
"I am aware of this, Captain, given that I watched you employ soothing techniques commonly used by human and Vulcan parents alike in order to soothe their child until they fall asleep."  
He stepped into the soft silver starlight. To anyone else, his expression would be the same stoic, statue of stony non-emotion but Jim could see, Jim knew there was a warmth in those brown eyes and a slight pinch at the corner of his mouth was Spock's version of a tender smile and Jim matched it with his own, sunny - if sleepy - grin.  
"Why, Mr Spock," he mock-gasped, flirtatiously, "anyone would think you were moved by this adorable sight."  
"To be moved by something implies great emotion." Spock answered, the same half-truths as he always did when he denied emotion,   
"Which you, of course, do not feel." Jim teased, suppressing a yawn.  
"Jim," Spock placed his hand on Jim's arm, "now that the child is asleep, I would suggest taking this opportunity to rest."  
"Yes, yes," Jim glanced down at Mary snuggled into him, "it's a shame, she seems comfortable but I suppose it's best to get her back to bed now."

They walked along the corridor in silence until they reached the childrens' guest quarters where Jim, supporting Mary's head like a baby, gently lay her down in the free bed, tucking her blanket around her. Smiling down, he brushed her hair out of her face, "Sleep well, tiny."   
He turned and walked back over to Spock, who was stood in the doorway, careful to make no noise. "Well, shall we return to our respective quarters, Mr Spock, or do you care for a midnight stroll?"  
"It is past midnight, Jim..."  
"It was a joke, Spock." Jim laughed quietly.  
"Ah."

"Well, then."  
"Yes..."  
Captain and First Officer, outside the doors to their respective quarters, "I, er, goodnight Mr Spock."  
"Jim?"  
"Hm?"  
"I hope to find you awake and sufficiently rested on the bridge during our shift."  
Jim laughed, the laugh that (almost) elicited a broad smile from Spock, the laugh that made clouds part and sun shine through, "Sleep well, Spock."

**Author's Note:**

> I just...I just love this chubby space nerd and his boyfriend ok.


End file.
